Unit dispensing device



Ailg- 1938. F. s. STEINER 2,125,754

I UNIT DISPENSING DEVICE Filed'Sept. 21, 1935 2'Sheets-Sheet l Fieq/v/r GJTE/ EE '1 3 Mgr/WWW ATTOENEKJ Aug. 2, 1938.

F. G. STEINER UNIT DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1935" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f zz/en R W M l ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1.938

' FrankG; Steiner, Chicago, 111., asslgnor to Steiner Sales Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporationof Utah" Application Seaman, 1935, Serial No. 41,608 10 Claims, (01. 16444.5)

This invention relateslgenerally, to improvements in dispensing cabinets particularly adaptedfor dispensing paper units, including paper dryingunits. t

An important feature of the invention relates in part and broadlyto :a type of apparatusin,

which feeding is accomplished by means ,ofthe finger, acting frictionally on thet papenhand in part and morerspecifically to downstroke finger feed,:in combination with severing bypulling on a length of paper which has been brought to an accessible position by the finger stroking-feed action. J w

An important object of the invention is to combine with the fing'er-feed type ,of apparatus,

means by which a pull on an accessible length of paper, including for example paper toweling, will sever the same, along with'means for preventing delivery of paper, or paper toweling for a predetermined time period following each feeding operation. i i i Features of the invention include: finger-feed of the paper to an accessible position and severing by pulling; down-stroke finger feeding and up-pull severing; finger-feeding at the top ofv the cabinet; finger-feeding and severing bypulling, with timing, to prevent waste; finger-feeding of the paper with guide means formed in part by the severing means; finger down-stroke feeding of the paper to an accessible position spaced from the front of .thecabinetya simple relatively in expensive device having all the advantages de-- sired in adevice of this type, and all details of,

construction, along with the broader ideas of means inherent in thedisclosure i Objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawings forming a partof and in said drawings a Figure 1 is avertical transverse section taken approximately on line l-l of Figure 2; t

Figure 2 is a front view of the cabinet with parts broken away; i i

this application,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken approximately on line 33 of Figure 2, with the timing mechanism set as at the beginning of timing; and i Figure 4 is a top plan view partly in sectionr tion 5 connecting with the top 6 of the cabinet by a curved portion 1 which has therein a slot or opening 8 through which the finger can be introduced for friction-feeding the paper. The slanting portions are disposed as shown to form a delivery orifice and guide, the arrangement being suchthat the door 2 can, in thisembodiment,

be swung outwardly and downwardly. The upper edge of the door and the lower: edge of the element 5 define the delivery orifice l0.

Afeed roll is indicated at l5 and has a shaft l6 suitably journaled (see Figure 4) at one end in a partition plate l8, and at the opposite end in a plate or bracket IS. The upper periphery of V this roll is arranged close to the curved part] of the front wall of the cabinet and the paper passes between the roll and this curved part. Suitable means isprov ided to guide the paper; downwardly toward the delivery orifice III. From, Figure 1 it will be clear that the finger can engage the paper on the roll to move the roll to feed the paper.

, Figure 2 shows that the slot 8 is long enough in direction axially of the roll to permit three or four fingers to be introduced to engage the paper and operate the roll. The paper ordinarily used is known as wet strength paper of a quality whichwill not tear when wet fingers act upon it for feeding. a

Means is carried by the upper slanting part of the cabinet by which the paper can be severed by a pull thereon after passage through the orifice, in this embodiment by an up-pull, although the invention is not entirely limited to the direction of pull. The means in this instance comprises a plate 20 having a downwardly directed toothed edge 2|, the plate being secured to the portion 5 and forming part of the paper guiding means, another part being an inclined plate 25. This plate lies intermediately of and substantially parallel with the slanting portions 4 and 5 respectively of the door and the upper front wall of the cabinet, and its lower end lies between the severing means and the slanting portion 4 of the door. I t

Thepaper supply roll is indicated at 26, and the paper is passed upwardly from the front of the roll around an edge 28 of a curved plate 29 suitably secured to the partition plate Ill. The HD9 1, end of this plate leads toward the meetingpoint of the feed roll l5, and atpresser roll 30. This roll 30 has a shaft 3|, see Figure 3, journaled inslots 34 respectively carried in plates l8 and I9. Suitable springs 35 urge theshaft and its roll toward the feed roll l5. As shown,

deed it may be in some instances dispensed with to reduce friction. To prevent the feed roll L: from being rotated in the, wrong direction, a

ratchet wheel I! is secured to the shaft it, see

Pigures 3 and 4. A pawl 40 engages with the ratchet, as shown Another feature of the invention, in combination with finger feed and severing by pulling; or i in combination with down-stroke finger feed, and up-pull severing, is means for preventing feed for a' predetermined time period following each feeding operation, including means forobtaining feed of only a predetermined amount or length of toweiing.

Referring to Figure 3: The time-stop means which is only claimed herein incombination,

comprises an arm 45 fixed to feed roll shaft 16,

and disposed at the outer side of partition plate II, and a slide generally indicated at. This slide has an upper vertical stop portion 41 suit ably slidably held in a guide 48, an angularly related nearly horizontal portion 49, and a lower vertical portion "-slidable in a guide The barrel of a well-known dashpot type of timer is indicated at H. The piston of the timer is indicated at I4 and the'piston has a head 55 operably engaged by a-.forked extension 58 of the vertical portion 50' of the slide. A slotted link I constitutes means by which the arm 45 positively operates the slide. For this purpose, the

slide is longitudinally'slotted as at SI and the fastening device 62 passes through the slot and into'the arm 45. The opposite end of the link is.

pivotally connected to an outstanding projection 53 of the angled portion 49 of the slide and a split pin 64 secures the link. In Figure 3, the mechanism is shown as in step position in which no further movement of the feed roll in direction of the arrow can take place until after a predetermined time interval during which the top 86 of the stop 41 travels to point 61 or to a point outside the rotatlve path of the arm 45. The dot-and-dash line position of the slide and timer stem and head is also shown in this figure.

Operation In loading the cabinet, the door 2' is swung downwardly, the roll is placed in the cabinet, the paper-is brought from the forward side of the roll, upwardly over the edge ll'thenee upwardly between the rolls l5 and 30 over the roll II, and downwardly through the throat," past the knife to a position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 after which the paper is torn off.

In using the device, the paper may be fingerfed sufficiently to bring it into view and to a position accessible for grasping and then the accessible portion may be grasped and pulled to the limit as determined by the stop mechanism, or feeding out of the entire predetermined length can be accomplished by finger feeding.

Preferably, the user passes his finger or fingets through a slot 8 and strokes downwardly to bring a sumcient length of paper into view for grasping. He then grasps the paper and pulls it to the limit of feed, after which he brings the paper upwardly to the dotted line position in Figure 1, and tears off along the toothed edge 2| by an up-pulling motion. No more paper can now be fed until the timer has pulled the stop 41 downwardly to point 61.

Another advantage of the present device is that no preliminary perforation of the paper supply is necessary. The paper is simply fed to accessible position, pulled out, and then torn 01!.

Various combinations and sub-combinations of the parts -are claimed, along with the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure.

I claim as my invention:

1. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising, a cabinet havinga delivery orifice, feeding means including a roll around which the paper passes before reaching the delivery orifice, an opening through which a finger can engage the paper on the roll for moving the roll to feed the paper, severing means arranged intermediately of the roll and orifice, means acting with said severing means to direct'the paper to and through the orifice in a downward and outward direction, said severing means-being so arranged that after the paper passes through the orifice the same can be engaged with said severing means by an upward movement to procure severing.

2. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising, a cabinet having a delivery orifice, feeding means including a roll with which the paper engages before reaching the. delivery OIlfiOG,"B-Il opening through which a finger can engage the paper on the roll for moving the roll to feed the paper, a plate'arranged intermediately of the roll and orifice and havinga downwardly directed severing edge, means acting with said plate to guide the paperto and outwardly through the orifice whereby thereafter the paper can be engaged with thesevering edge by an upward movement to procure severing.

, 3. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinethavingadoor forming part of the front of the cabinet, the upper portion of the door being upwardly inwardly slanted, the remainder of the front of said cabinet being formed by an upwardly inwardly slanting portion connecting with the top of the cabinet, the said slanting portions being disposed to form a delivery orifice, a feed roll adjacent the top of the cabinet, said cabinet having in its upper slanting front portion an opening through which a finger can engage .paper on the roll to move the roll to feed the paper,- means carried by the upper slanting part of the cabinet by which paper can I be severed by an up-pull thereon after passage through the orifice, and means including said last mentioned means for guiding the paper from the roll to and outwardly through said orifice.

4. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having a door forming part of the front of the cabinet, the upper portion of the door being upwardly inwardly slanted, the remainder of the front of said cabinet being formed by" an upwardly inwardly slanting portion connecting with the top of the cabinet, the said slanting portions being disposed to form a delivery orifice, a feed roll adjacent the top of the cabinet, said cabinet having in its upper slanting front portion an opening through which a finger can engage paper on the roll to move the roll to feed the paper, means carried by the upper slanting part of the cabinet by which paper can be severed by an up-pull thereon after passage through the orifice, and means including said last mentioned means for guiding the paper from the roll to and outwardly through said orifice, and also including a plate lying intermediately of the slanting portions of the front of the cabinet and between the severing means and the slanting portion of the door.

5. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having an outwardly downwardly slanting wall portion forming one side of a delivery opening, a measuring roll which delivers against said slanting wall portion, in a manner to guide the paper to apoint spaced from the front of the cabinet, a supply roll below said measuring roll, with the paper leading from its front upwardly and around said measuring roll thence forwardly, and an opening in said wall through which the paper is contacted by the operator and pressed against the roll to operate said roll to feed the paper.

6. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having a delivery orifice, a measuring roll above the level of the orifice, means cooperative with and spaced from the roll and acting to guide the paper from a point below the roll upwardly to the rear of the roll around and over the roll thence downwardly through the orifice, said cabinet having an opening above said orifice through which the paper is contacted by the operator and pressed against the roll to operate the roll to feed the paper through the orifice.

7. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having a delivery orifice, a measuring roll at the top above the level of the orifice, means cooperative with and spaced from the roll and acting to guide the paper from a point below the roll upwardly to the rear of the roll around and over the roll thence downwardly through the orifice, a part of said guiding means being formed by a front wall of the cabinet and said wall having an opening above said orifice through which the paper is contacted by the operator and pressed against the roll to operate the roll to feed the paper through the orifice.

8. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having a delivery orifice, a measuring roll above the level of the orifice, means cooperative with and spaced from the roll and acting to guide the paper from a point below the roll upwardly to the rear of the roll around and over the roll thence downwardly through the orifice, a part of said guiding means being formed by a front wall of the cabinet and said wall having an opening above said orifice through which the paper is contacted by the operator and pressed against the roll to operate said roll to feed the paper through the orifice, said guide means including a part having a smoothing edge over which the paper drags on the way to said roll.'

9. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having a delivery orifice, a measuring roll, means cooperative with and spaced from the roll and acting to guide the paper from a point below the roll upwardly to the rear of the roll around and over the roll thence downwardly through the orifice, said cabinet part of said guiding means having an opening through which the paper is contacted by the operator and pressed against the roll to operate the roll to feed the paper through the orifice.

10. A paper dispensing apparatus comprising a cabinet having a delivery orifice, a measuring roll at the top above the level of the orifice, means cooperative with and spaced from the roll and acting to guide the paper from a point below the roll upwardly and to the rear of the roll around and over the roll thence downwardly through the orifice, a part of said guiding means being formed by a front wall of the cabinet and said wall having an opening through which the paper is contacted by the operator and pressed against the roll to operate the roll to feed the paper through the orifice, and a tearoff knife attached to a part of said guiding means at said orifice and also acting to guide the paper and so arranged that after the paper is passed through the orifice it can be engaged with said knife by upward movement.

FRANK G. STEINER. 

